Christoph Spendel
Christoph Spendel (born July 19, 1955 in Bytom , Poland ) is a German jazz pianist, composer and producer of film and television music as well as electronic chillout music. He also works as a university lecturer and music journalist.
Live and act
Spendel received his first piano lessons at the age of five from his mother, Maria Christa Spendel, a piano teacher. He later continued this at the Folkwang University in Essen. After a jazz course at the Clara Schumann Music School with the flautist Hermann Gehlen , Spendel studied with Bernhard Roderburg at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf . At the same time, he began his professional career as a jazz musician in the mid-1970s as a member of the Jazztrack group (with Wolfgang Engstfeld , Uli Beckerhoff and Sigi Busch ). He later played with Michael Sagmeister in the quartet, but also withAlbert Mangelsdorff , Hans Koller , Gerd Dudek , Manfred Schoof , Christof Lauer , Wolfgang Dauner and Wolfgang Schlueter .
Appearances at the Berlin Jazz Days 1975, 1978, 1990 and at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1997, lengthy stays in the USA and worldwide tours contributed to the fact that he was able to develop his own musical profile as one of the most important German jazz pianists of today. Spendel toured North America for about two years with the New York-based smooth jazz group Special EFX and made guest appearances in various clubs, including a. the legendary Blue Note in New York, and at numerous festivals. Spendel led the fusion band West End Avenue with Reuben Hoch (three albums, including with Jim Pepper and Lonnie Plaxico ) and has worked in fusion productions with Jeremy Steig and Bob Mintzer , but also with Michal Urbaniak , Stu Goldberg , Miroslav Vitouš , Urszula Dudziak and Randy Brecker participated. For a short time he was a member of the New York based band The Fantasy Ban with Chuck Loeb, Dave Valentin and Dave Samuals. He has also worked with Norma Winstone , Didier Lockwood , Dave Liebman , Eddie Harris , Airto Moreira , Flora Purim , Dave Pike and Alphonse Mouzon . His international tours - many of them for the Goethe Institute - took him to Canada, Israel, Australia, Cuba, Norway and others
In 1984 Christoph Spendel met the flautist and producer Lenny Mac Dowell , with whom he recorded the CD Autumn Breath in the same year, which was followed by various productions. In 1987 he founded the band Tel Aviv Connection with local musicians in Israel , which recorded a record and performed several times in Germany. Together with his classical colleague Ratko Delorko he appeared in the duo Jazz Meets Classic , with various concert tours through Italy and Turkey.
In 2002 he founded the chillout project Planet Lounge with the Japanese electronics producer Naoki Kenji and the Afghan percussionist Hakim Ludin, which produced three albums.
Spendel's style is strongly based on the tradition of European classical music and also refers to its melody, harmony and rhythm. In addition, he has a strong interest in electronic music and world music. He is considered one of the leading German jazz pianists who is also recognized in the USA. Since 1999 he has been professor for jazz piano at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts .
Christoph Spendel has lived in Frankfurt am Main since 2000. There he composes and produces television and film music in his own studio . a. for Blue Flame Records and Publishing, Global Vision Film Production and for 22d Music, which are used internationally.
In 2010 he founded the acid jazz project Jazzmatics , his Brazilian music-oriented project Brasitronics and the Smooth Jazz Park, which he started in New York . All three acts are released exclusively for download and streaming on his own label CSP - Christoph Spendel Productions.
Discography - leader and sideman (complete)
- 1976 Jazztrack - Jazztrack: Sigi Busch, Wolfgang Engstfeld, Uli Beckerhoff, Heinrich Hock (Happy Bird Records) record, CD
- 1977 Listen - Jazztrack (Happy Bird Records) record, CD
- 1978 Flying Stork - Jazztrack feat. Norma Winstone (Happy Bird Records) vinyl record
- 1978 Parkstreet No. 92 - Piano Solo (EGO Records) record, CD
- 1978 Village Songs - Duo with Gerd Mayer Mendez (Village Music) record
- 1979 Phonolit - with Bernd Konrad, Hans Koller, Didier Lockwood (Hat Hut Records) record, CD, download
- 1980 Limousine - Christoph Spendel Group feat. Michael Sagmeister (Trion Records) record, CD, download
- 1980 Traces of Darkness - Christoph Spendel Quartet with Hugo Read, Jo Thönes, Mario Castronari (JG Records) record
- 1981 Orange Town - Duo with Wolfgang Schlueter (MRC Records) record, CD, download
- 1981 Raspail Hotel - Christoph Spendel Group (Trion Records) record, CD, download
- 1981 Dualism - Duo with Wolfgang Schlueter (MPS Records) record, CD, download
- 1982 Dreams And Melodies - Piano Solo (L + R Records) record, CD, download
- 1982 Journey to The Garden - Christoph Spendel Group (SoWa Records) record
- 1982 September Memories - Christoph Spendel / Wolfgang Schlueter Quartet (MPS Records) record, CD, download
- 1984 Between The Moments - Christoph Spendel Group feat. Michael Sagmeister (BS Records) record, CD, download
- 1984 Autumn Breath - with Lenny Mac Dowell (Blue Flame Records) record, CD, download
- 1985 Radio Exotique - Christoph spendel Group (BS Records) Record, CD, download
- 1987 Back to Basics - Trio with Thomas Heidepriem, Kurt Billker (Blue Flame records) record, CD, download
- 1987 So Near so Far - Duo with Michael Sagmeister (L + R Records) record, CD, download
- 1988 Tel Aviv Connection - (Jazzis Records) record
- 1988 Ready For Take Off - Christoph Spendel Group feat. Annie Whitehead (L + R Records) record, CD, download
- 1989 Milky Way - feat. Randy Brecker, Victor Bailey, Lenny White, Ray Gomez, Michael Urbaniak (L + R Records) record, CD, download
- 1989 West End Avenue 1 - Jim Pepper, Ron McClure, Reuben Hoch (Nabel Records) vinyl record, CD
- 1989 Spendel - feat. Jeremy Steig, Bill Evans, Ray Gomez, Anthony Jackson (L + R Records) vinyl record, CD, download
- 1990 Coast to Coast - Axel Fischbacher Quartet, feat. Marc Johnson (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1991 Mysterious Princess - Axel Fischbacher Quartet feat. Adam Nussbaum (Acoustic Music) CD, download
- 1991 Infinity - feat. Alphonse Mouzon (Inak Records) CD record, CD
- 1991 West End Avenue 2 - Lance Bryant, Lonnie Plaxico, Reuben Hoch (Nabel Records) vinyl record, CD
- 1992 The Lecturers - feat. Michael Sagmeister, Udo Dahmen (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1992 West End Avenue 3 - Jeff Marx, Avner Papiuchado, Lonnie Plaxico, Reuben Hoch (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1993 Cool Street - feat. Bob Mintzer, Omar Hakim, Chieli Minucci, Gerald Veasley (TCB Records) CD, download
- 1993 The Fantasy Band - feat. Chuck Loeb, Dave Samuels, Marion Meadows, John Lee (DMP Records) CD
- 1994 Live in New York - RH Faktor feat. Reuben Hoch, Dave Liebman (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1995 Out of Town - feat. Derrick James , Frank Nimsgern (TCB Records) CD, download
- 1995 Jewels - Chieli Minucci (JVC Records) CD, download
- 1995 West End Avenue 4 City Jazz - Derrik James, Dave Endings, Reuben Hoch (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1995 If I Only Knew - RH Factor feat. Reuben Hoch, Dave Liebman, Leni Stern, Jeff Andrews (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1996 City Kids - feat. Derrick James, Wesley G. (TCB Records) CD, download
- 1996 Just Friends - Duo with Altfrid M. Sicking (CSP Records) Download
- 1997 Thoughts - Piano + Keyboards Solo (L + R Records) CD, download
- 1997 The Art of Solo Piano - Piano Solo (Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 1998 Flight 408 - Christoph Spendel Electric Band feat. Lisa Shaw (Blue Flame Records) CD, Download
- 1998 The Three Worlds - recorded in New York and Tel Aviv (Konnex Records / Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 1999 Jazz Meets Classic - Piano Duo with Ratko Delorko (Zeitklang Records) CD
- 1999 Silent Night - Christmas Jazz Trio with André Nendza, Kurt Billker (Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 1999 Binary - Duo with Michael Sagmeister (Acoustic Music) CD, download
- 1999 Unexpected Elements - Trio with André Nendza, Kurt Billker (Konnex Records, Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2001 Piano Duett - Piano Duo with Stefan Heidtmann (Shaa Music) CD, download
- 2001 New Avenues - Trio with André Nendza, Kurt Billker (Konnex Records, Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2001 Jazzsongs Vol. 1 - Piano Solo (Konnex Records / Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2001 The L + R Collection (L + R Records) CD, download
- 2001 When I'm 64 - Olaf Kübler Quartett (Village Records / ZYX) CD, download
- 2002 Electric Bolero - Planet Lounge with Naoki Kenji, Hakim Ludin (Liquid Lounge Records) CD, download
- 2003 New York Groove - feat. Bob Mintzer, Omar Hakim, Chieli Minucci, Gerald Veasley (TCB Records) CD, download
- 2003 Midnight Soul - Olaf Kübler Quartet (Village Records / ZYX) CD, download
- 2004 HGBSthetik - Piano Solo (HGBS Records) CD, download
- 2004 Jazz Meets Classic - Piano Duo with Ratko Delorko / live in Braunschweig (Zeitklang Records) DVD
- 2005 Distorted Skies - Duo with Sigi Finkel (L + R Records) CD, download
- 2005 Shanghai City Lights - Trio with André Nendza, Kurt Billker (Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2005 Nazim - Planet Lounge with Naoki Kenji, Hakim Ludin (4mpo Records) CD, download
- 2009 Summer Notice - Trio with Claudio Zanghieri, Andreas Neubauer (Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2011 December Piano Music (CSP Records) Download
- 2011 Jazzmatics 1 (CSP Records) Download
- 2011 Jazzmatics - Deep Down Ibiza (CSP Records) Download
- 2011 Global Vision - Ibiza Vol. 2 (Blue Flame Records) DVD
- 2012 Harlem Nocturne - Trio with Claudio Zanghieri, Kurt Billker (Blue Flame Records) CD, download
- 2012 Jazzmatics - Upbeat (CSP Records) Download
- 2013 Another Day - Piano Solo (L + R Records) CD, Download
- 2013 Winter Wonderland - Christmas Jazz Trio (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2013 Electric Park - Jazzmatics (CSP Records) Download
- 2013 Smooth Jazz Park Vol. 1 (TCB Records) Download
- 2013 Smooth Jazz Park Vol. 2 (TCB Records) Download
- 2013 Latin Chill (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2013 Lights of Yaiza (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2014 Brasitronics 1 (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2014 Terra Del Solo - Piano Solo (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2014 Cascade - Planet Lounge with Naoki Kenji, Hakim Ludin (4mpo Records) CD, download
- 2014 Back in Town (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2015 Christoph Spendel Quartet feat. Tony Lakatos / live in Siegen (CSP Records) Download
- 2015 Brasitronics 2 (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2015 The Piano Side of Frank Sinatra - Piano Solo (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2015 Landscapes - with Lenny Mac Dowell (Blue Flame Records) CD, Download
- 2016 Brasitronics 3 (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2016 The Holiday Album - Piano Solo (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2016 Live - with the Lenny Mac Dowell Band (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2016 Canary Chill Vol.1 (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2016 Jazzmatics Vol.3 (CSP Records) Download
- 2016 Jazzmatics Vol.4 (CSP Records) Download
- 2016 New York Sessions Vol. 1 - Jazzmatics (CSP Records) Download
- 2016 New York Sessions Vol. 2 - Jazzmatics (CSP Records) Download
- 2017 Latin Life - Jazzmatics (CSP Records) Download
- 2017 The Best of - Jazzmatics (CSP Records) Download
- 2017 Movie Tunes Vol.1 (Blue Flame Records) Download
- 2017 Movie tunes Vol.2 (Blue Flame Records) Download
Web links
- www.spendel.com
- Entry (Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians)
- Christoph Spendel at Discogs (English)
- Christoph Spendel at Allmusic (English)
- tunein.com/artist/Christoph-Spendel-m105390/
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Spendel, Christoph |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German jazz musician (keyboardist, composer, producer and university lecturer) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 19, 1955 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bytom |